Compressed digital video reload and playback system

• US 5,724,475 A
• Filed: 05/18/1995
• Issued: 03/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Timepres Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jeff P. Kirsten
• Inventors: Kirsten, Jeff P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/444,286
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 386/109, 386/46, 386/111, 386/117, 386/129, 386/52, 386/1, 386/4, 386/27, 386/33, 386/38, 386/83
• US Class Current: 386/294
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/107 between spatial and temporal predictive coding, e.g. picture refresh
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/137 Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/14 Coding unit complexity, e.g. amount of activity or edge presence estimation H04N19/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/149 by estimating the code amount by means of a model, e.g. mathematical model or statistical model
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/15 by monitoring actual compressed data size at the memory before deciding storage at the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/37 with arrangements for assigning different transmission priorities to video input data or to video coded data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/436 using parallelised computational arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/503 involving temporal prediction adaptive coding with adaptive selection between spatial and temporal predictive coding H04N19/107; adaptive coding with adaptive selection among a plurality of temporal predictive coding modes H04N19/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/507 using conditional replenishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A record and playback system for video images, especially suited for multi-camera industrial surveillance. Techniques for acquiring multiple asynchronous camera inputs, compressing video images, and storing digital image data are described. Selective resolution recording improves object discernability without large large increase in data storage. A recording system with automatic data archive that eliminates the need for regular operator attention is disclosed.

Claims

1. A recording system for video image streams, said image streams having attributes including rate and resolution, said recording system comprising:

an image processor, said image processor having an input for an image stream, an output for emitting a storage data stream, and at least one image attribute control input for varying one of said attributes of said storage data stream;

a storage sub-system, said storage sub-system accepting said storage data stream, wherein said storage sub-system permits overwriting of previously written data according to a replacement process, said storage sub-system having storage attributes including the rate of data entering storage, the volume of data accumulated in storage, the volume of storage space remaining, and a storage capacity, said storage capacity being equal to the sum of said volume of data accumulated in storage and said volume of storage space remaining; and

a control means for dynamically adjusting the quantity of data entering said storage sub-system according to a predetermined criteria by producing said at least one image attribute control input, said control means monitoring at least one of said storage attributes, wherein said predetermined criteria during said replacement process is that said volume of data accumulated in storage remains substantially equal to said storage capacity and substantially all data younger than a programmable time interval are retained, said time interval being programmable without regard for said storage capacity.